Chapter 427 - The Situation at Dragon Pool

Chapter 427: Chapter 181: The Situation at Dragon PoolEven though Xie’an had already given the order to eat and drink freely, the soldiers still kept their guard up, prudence was always good when on someone else’s turf.

After a while, Xie’an and Lu Hong finished eating and wiped their mouths. Standing up, Xie’an said to Ji Tong, "Mr. Ji, will you take us to see Bo Heng?"

"Of course, please follow me," Ji Tong said with a smile, clearly having recovered from the pit Malike had dug for him.

"As for my people..."

"I will ensure they are properly accommodated within the territory of the Pasa family, my lord need not worry."

"Much appreciated," Xie’an nodded his head. Now that they were here, he might as well leave everything to them. His primary aim was to ascertain the current environment in the Dragon’s Den. Although the Empire covertly supported both the Pasa and Xiao Ke families, their control over this plane was very weak, which is why the Dragon’s Den was among the first to betray the Empire and declare independence. The Military Department’s records on intelligence regarding the Dragon’s Den were also sparse, and Xie’an needed a large amount of up-to-date information so that he could formulate a reasonable plan to divide the other two major families and liberate the Dragon’s Den.

As for Lu Hong, his mind was fixated on the Black Guard. It was illogical for such a large plane like Questasa not to have some secret deployments.

Sure enough, the token inside the silent Space Ring emitted a faint light under Lu Hong’s prompting, indicating that within a hundred miles, a Black Guard sensed the token’s call and responded.

Knowing that there were Black Guards in the Dragon’s Den, Lu Hong breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the Pasa family had taken care of everything along the way and seemed very normal, they still couldn’t be completely trusted.

After passing through three city portals, Lu Hong finally arrived at the Pasa family’s territory.

It was a cluster of castles constructed with a mix of Magic Suppression Stone powder, stretching for a thousand miles along the mountains behind it, an impressively grand sight.

"Do the Pasa family have that much money?" Xie’an raised an eyebrow subtly. Although mixed with Magic Suppression Stone powder, wasn’t that too many buildings? Such an endeavor would even be difficult for the Empire to fund.

"Not bad, not bad," Ji Tong said proudly. "Our Pasa family leads in commerce. At our peak, our caravans covered almost every area of the Empire. Even the Blue Crystal Chamber of Commerce, which had the backing of the Eight Great Families, couldn’t completely overshadow us."

Mentioning the Blue Crystal Chamber of Commerce brought a touch of sorrow to Lu Hong; it was this Eight Great Families controlled chamber that had arranged for Miaomiao to infiltrate old man Sius’ side, which led to Sius’ death.

Sadly, the chamber had been wiped out by Konstantin when the Empire eradicated the Eight Great Families, robbing Lu Hong of his chance for revenge.

That the Pasa family could extend their trade to cover all the planes under the Empire’s command was probably largely due to Konstantin’s secret support, which made the likelihood of the Pasa family’s betrayal quite low.

Xie’an and Lu Hong exchanged looks, their vigilance against the Pasa family dropped somewhat.

Upon entering the castle, Xie’an immediately felt weak and powerless. The biggest use of a building made from Magic Suppression Stone was to isolate magic power, and its defensive capabilities were incredibly strong—unless there was a fighter with strength as enormous as that of a hundred lions, this ancient fortress could not be destroyed.

As for Lu Hong, he didn’t react much. After all, he was someone who relied on his physical prowess, his physical condition many times better than Xie’an’s.

Ji Tong was very aware of how Xie’an felt at the moment and said with a laugh, "Is this your first time entering a building made of Magic Suppression Stone? Rest for a bit, I believe you’ll get used to it quite quickly."

"It’s fine, let’s meet with Bo Heng first," Xie’an shook his head, declining the offer.

Hearing this, Ji Tong continued to lead the way. Wherever they went, all members of the Pasa family they encountered greeted Ji Tong with respect, making it clear that this Mr. Ji held a high position within the Pasa family.

Due to the existence of the forbidden magic stone, all magic was blocked within the Pasar family castle; therefore, the only ways to travel were on foot or by carriage.

Following the winding mountain path, it took Lu Hong and his companion more than half an hour to finally arrive at the residence of the Family Head of the Pasar family.

At this time, Bo Heng, the Pasar family head, had already been waiting at the door. Upon seeing Xie’an and Lu Hong, he hurriedly came forward to greet them. "You have come from afar, please come in and rest your legs, ha-ha. Also, General Xie, please forgive me for any shortcomings in my hospitality."

"Bo Heng, you are too kind. Your unwavering support during the empire’s crisis is deeply appreciated. I believe your contributions will yield unexpected rewards," Xie’an diplomatically responded.

Bo Heng laughed heartily, "I have always believed in the strength of the Sacred Empire. Although the sea clan seems fierce, they still remain unable to penetrate our borders. Defeating the sea clan is surely just a matter of time. It’s just a pity that the other two family heads fail to see the situation clearly. Ah well, let’s go inside first."

Ji Tong played the host, respectfully inviting the two guests inside, and then began busying himself with preparing tea.

Xie’an and Lu Hong’s identities as imperial citizens must not be exposed, hence, aside from Bo Heng and Ji Tong, the rest of the servants were mainly dismissed to prevent any leaks.

Once everyone was seated, Bo Heng continued, "Actually, the Xiao Ke family head is still on the fence and could be persuaded, but we must be very cautious. Recently, he has been quite close to the Questasa family head, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he had firmly decided to betray the empire."

"How many forces are currently guarding the Dragon Pool?"

When faced with Xie’an’s question, Bo Heng was silent for a moment before replying, "The Pasar family still has an army of one million two hundred thousand, distributed near three cities, which is the weakest among the three great families. The Xiao Ke family has nearly two million troops, quite concentrated, and currently stationed within Grey Mountain City. That’s their official military strength, but how many additional forces they have cultivated in secret, I am not sure. As for the Questasa family, the strongest in Dragon Pool, they control three armies, each one million strong, and rule over half of Dragon Pool’s cities. Hence, the Questasa family has a great say, and without a reasonable proposal, the Questasa family head can basically dictate the administrative affairs of Dragon Pool with just a word."

"Wasn’t the empire’s early support enough for you?" Xie’an asked with a furrowed brow. "The information from the Military Department is that the three great families would share Dragon Pool equally, so why is there such a huge disparity in military strength?"

Bo Heng gave a slight smile, "What you may not be aware of is that, while the Questasa family has over three million soldiers, in an actual fight, it’s not definite that my Pasar family would lose. The Pasar family raises a smaller number of private soldiers, but each is quite capable in combat. Plus, this castle is made of forbidden magic stone; the Questasa family definitely can’t break through."

Upon hearing this, Xie’an nodded, understanding the concept of elite troops: "If that’s the case, if we can win over the Xiao Ke family, is it possible to launch an attack on the Questasa family and annihilate them?"

Bo Heng paused for a moment before speaking, "That’s true, however, as I mentioned earlier, the Xiao Ke family’s recent actions suggest a strong inclination towards the Questasa family. Moreover, the Xiao Ke family was also covertly supported by the empire back in the day, so they have their own secret channels. Your crossing into this realm this time has provoked a strong reaction from the Questasa family head—I suspect the Xiao Ke family head might have whispered something to them."

"But why did they still let us in?" Xie’an pressed.

At this point, Ji Tong interjected from the side, "The family head paid a great price to get the Questasa to bite, and besides, as far as the Questasa are concerned, you are only a hundred thousand strong; even the empire’s Demon Slaying Army wouldn’t be able to cause much of a stir in Dragon Pool."

"In that case, Family Head Bo Heng must be very careful recently; the Questasa family head will likely test you in a series of ways, and today might only be the beginning," Xie’an warned.

Bo Heng nodded in response to Xie’an’s advice, "You can rest assured, I will not betray you. The Pasar family is one that remembers kindness and seeks to repay it—as our ancestral teachings dictate. We will always stand on the side of the empire, even if Dragon Pool ends up not escaping the control of the Questasa family, I will find a way to get you out safely."

"What about the top combat strength of the Questasa and Xiao Ke families? Does Family Head Bo Heng have any insights?" Lu Hong finally spoke up.

"The Questasa family has three top fighters, but only one has grasped a secret technique, and it’s only at its initial stage. Sadly, no one has ever seen him employ it, so it’s unknown what kind of secret technique it is. These three are ranked as the top three forces in Dragon Pool, known as the Three Saints of Dragon Pool."

Lu Hong was surprised, "And what about you? Are the top ranks all dominated by them?"

"Baron, don’t worry," Bo Heng replied, "Although the Questasa has taken the top three ranks, from fourth to sixteenth belong to us and Xiao Ke family, divided equally. Overall, when it comes to top combat strength, the three great families are still balanced."

Upon hearing this, Lu Hong nodded, The Three Saints, huh? We’ll see if I don’t turn them into three pig heads.